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Beckham Baby Name Revealed: Harper Seven Beckham!

Jul 10th 2011

ANG/Fame Pictures

Throughout Victoria Beckham’s pregnancy, there were endless rumors about what the fashionista and her soccer star husband, David Beckham, were going to name their long-awaited first daughter. Well, now we can report that the rumors were… wrong!

“I am so proud and excited to announce the birth of our daughter Harper Seven Beckham,” David announced on Facebook Sunday night. “She weighed a healthy 7lbs 10oz and arrived at 7:55 this morning, here in LA. Victoria is doing really well and her brothers are delighted to have a baby sister xx.”

While the names the Beckhams selected for their sons Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz all grew in popularityafter the celebrity couple named each child, Harper is already one of the fastest growing female baby names in the U.S. After first appearing on the chart in 2004, Harper soared to its current spot, No. 119, in 2010 -- and it looks like it's going to continue on up. The Middle English name means “harp player” and was popularized by author Harper Lee. With Victoria’s huge fashion background, the association with style bible Harper’s Bazaar -- on whose cover she has appeared many times -- likely gives it added meaning.

Baby Beckham’s middle name, the number name Seven, isn’t something anyone, well, figured on – but it makes sense. Seven is the number David wore when he played for Manchester United and England. Jerseys that read “Beckham 7” have been worn by millions of the jock's fans. Then there’s the fact that the baby was born in July -- the seventh month -- at 7am -- the seventh hour. The Beckhams also celebrate their wedding anniversary in July.

Seven has had some popularity in the name world. If you watched Seinfeld, you’ll remember George Costanza declaring that Seven was a beautiful perfect baby name "for a boy or a girl... especially a girl." Andre 3000 and Erykah Badu agreed – they named their son Seven Sirius.

Do you think the name Harper Seven Beckham is a good fit with big brothers Brooklyn Joseph, Romeo James and Cruz David? Are you a fan of the new “It” name Harper? What is your opinion on number names -- any that you’d consider? Weigh in now.

Comments

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July 10, 2011 11:09 PM

By bajik (not verified)

I'm surprised they picked something so trendy - you'd think they would've gone for unusual again. I can't get behind Harper as a name b/c it's the last name of the Conservative prime minister of Canada, so to me it is just tainted with that yuckiness. I like Seven as a name more than I like Harper.

Given the more traditional middle names of their sons, Seven is a bit surprising. But especially given that it was David Beckham's number, it makes it a bit less "weird" to me.
I like the name Harper, and I think it fits in nicely with their sons' names, especially as Brooklyn and Cruz have become trendier in recent years (even though Brooklyn is more common as a girl's name).

Everything old is new again: the ancient Romans loved birth-order (number) names. Seven as a girl's name would be Septima, I believe.
I'm not generally a fan of surnames/occupations as given names, except in the middle name position, so I'm not fond of Harper as a first name. (My husband's cousin used it as a middle name for one of her girls, where it works nicely.) But then, every professional harper I've ever known about has been female, so it's not as bad as it could be.

I'm a little let down by Harper. It's just not as...trendsetting as I assumed it would be. It's already pretty popular- I know three under the age of 2 - and definitely leans toward trendy. I was so hoping they'd pick something more distinctive a la Brad and Angelina. I was also hoping they'd pick something more feminine as this is their only girl. I actually like Seven. It has cool personal meaning (if all speculation is on target) and a nice sound. All in all, they could have done better (imo) but then again, they definitely could have done worse.

The notion that celebrities should be trendsetters when it comes to baby names is foreign to me. Really, you think they should pick something outrageous just so they can make themselves more famous!? Nah, I'd rather they wear an outrageous outfit and give their children reasonable names than the other way around.

I'm personally not a fan of the name Harper for a girl. It lacks any feminine charm. But I can see why some people might like it for that very reason. That said if the name was paired with a gender identifying middle name I'd be more apt to like it.

While celebrities shouldn't be obligated to pick cutting-edge baby names just because they're celebrities (after all, stars are people too), when a particular celeb has a history of choosing unusual names, it's still quite fun to speculate....which is why Harper was a bit of a surprise to me. I've heard it quite often in the past decade, and was sure they'd have picked something a little less common...and "commoner."